Aaron Rodgers got his first touchdown as a New York Jets quarterback on Monday night vs San Francisco 49ers, recovering from a nightmare opening two drives at Levi’s Stadium.
Breece Hall got the three-yard TD, moments after he left Rodgers furious when he fumbled the ball on the previous drive.
First, Allen Lazard dropped a simple pass from Rodgers for what would have been first down for the Jets in the opening minutes of the first quarter.
He seemed to slip in the process but still should have taken the ball in his grasp – it was a perfect pass from Rodgers.
The Jets defense responded brilliantly, meaning Rodgers was soon back out on the field for his fourth snap of the game – the identical time to which he tore his Achilles last year.
He found Hall, but the running back fumbled under pressure from Fred Warner and the 49ers had a turnover. Rodgers was visibly unhappy, shaking his head as he took his helmet off and ran off the field.
But moments later, Rodgers and Garret Wilson linked up four times for 45 yards to lead the Jets through a 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Hall’s touchdown.
Rodgers threw for his first touchdown in the third quarter, picking out Lazard with a dime on a free play for a touchdown to keep the Jets alive at the end of the third quarter, where they were 26-13 down.
The Jets had a boost before the start of the game when it emerged that 49ers’ star man Christian McCaffrey was inactive due to a calf and Achilles issue.
It was reported on ESPN that the running back is also a doubt for next Sunday’s game against Minnesota Vikings.